Unfit
Unfit by Ariana Harwicz, published by New Directions Publishing Corporation in 2025, is a gripping narrative that delves into the complexities of motherhood and the legal struggles surrounding custody. The story follows Lisa, an Argentine migrant in rural France who has lost custody of her twin boys. As she navigates the challenges posed by the French legal system and her manipulative in-laws, Lisa’s desperation leads her to take drastic measures, setting off a harrowing journey that explores the limits of human endurance.
In this edition, readers will encounter a psychological thriller that intertwines themes of family life, divorce, and the darker aspects of domestic existence. Harwicz’s sharp prose and unreliable narration create a tense atmosphere, inviting readers to grapple with their perceptions of love and violence. As Lisa’s story unfolds, the narrative raises unsettling questions about societal norms and personal choices, making Unfit a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. This edition comprises 128 pages and is presented in English.
Official synopsis Publisher
Lisa has lost custody of her young twin boys. Caught between the French legal system’s sluggish bureaucracy and her sinister, scheming in-laws, she’s alone and lost, an Argentine migrant in rural France picking grapes for a pittance, only allowed to see her children in supervised visits once a month. Scapegoated and outcast, destitute and desperate, Lisa decides to take radical action: early one morning, she sneaks into her in-laws’ farmhouse, takes back her children, sets the barn ablaze, and makes her escape. What follows is a white-knuckled road trip that explores human beings pushed to the edge.
Clearly, Lisa is not in her right mind, and as Harwicz deftly mingles a chorus of contradictory voices into her very unreliable narration, the reader comes to regard the protagonist with an unsettling mixture of sympathy and suspicion. Written in savage, chiseled prose, Unfit shoots off, a gripping chase that questions all our assumptions–and points out our hypocrisies–about motherhood, custody rights, love, violence, antisemitism, and migration. The latest novel by the acclaimed author of Die, My Love (soon to be adapted to a film starring Jennifer Lawrence), Unfit is addictively terrifying, savagely sophisticated, and shockingly brilliant.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Unfit” about?
Who is the author of “Unfit”?
When was “Unfit” published?
What is the ISBN for “Unfit”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
